PARMIGIANINO, TITIAN

The first display ever devoted to Italian Renaissance woodcuts, Multiplied wonders explores the development of the medium across Italy between the 15th and mid-16th centuries. Bringing together exceptional works from the British Museum collection, many of which have never previously been displayed, the exhibition reveals the extraordinary variety, ambition and ingenuity of one of Europe’s earliest printmaking techniques.

Created as affordable images for everyday use, woodcuts served many purposes in Renaissance life. They were pasted onto walls for devotion, carried in pockets and used on playing cards and maps, thereby circulating ideas, information and artistic inventions to wide audiences. Because they were handled, displayed and reused, relatively few survive today.

Following a journey through the artistic centres of Venice, Rome, Tuscany and Emilia, the works range from rare early devotional prints and intricate chiaroscuro woodcuts to spectacular designs by artists including Titian and Parmigianino. The display also highlights the close collaboration between leading artists and specialist printmakers, whose technical skill transformed woodcuts into works of remarkable sophistication.

Developed in partnership with the scholars behind the pioneering online Census of Italian Renaissance Woodcuts hosted by the Giorgio Cini Foundation, Multiplied wonders presents seldom seen works and explores how woodcut prints shaped the visual culture of Renaissance Italy.